Elastic floor-covering.



440. 692,242. Patehted Fab. 4, 1902. J. COOMBER.

ELASTIC FLOOR COVERING.

(Alpplirgation filed Apr. 22, 1901 (No Model.)

WI! WM i W W A flifizea edr' Ill/67715)! I 72mm) 63019 1250" /6.Z, ($9M 5 Fed Gerfac/L 12w. llforag.

nnnnnnn s PETERS co.. Puma-mac WASHIIIGYON, n c.

UNiTnn STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES COOMBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT BAUMGARTEN, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

ELASTIC FLOOR-COVERING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,242, dated February 4, 1902. Application filed April 22, 1901. Serial No. 56,898. No 11105010 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES COOMBER, a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic Floor-Coverings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to floor-covering usually made of rubber or similar material for covering floors.

It has heretofore been customary to form floor-covering of a series of blocks of various shapes, and more particularly of blocks comprisingradially-arranged portions adapted to interlock with correspondingly-shaped projections of adjacently or contiguously arranged blocks.

The present invention designs to provide a floorbovering which can be cheaply manufactured and can be quickly arranged and placed in position to cover a floor of any desired dimensions.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth, and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a floor-covering embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of one of the sections of the covering.

A denotes a series of sections made of elastic material, such as rubber. Each of said sections is formed of a long central strip a, from one side of which project laterally a series or row of integrally-formed tongues a, between each of which a space or opening a is formed. From the other side of strip a project an oppositely-arranged series of integrally-formed tongues a between each of which a space or opening a is formed. The tongues are alternately disposed on opposite sides of the central stripz'. 6., a space a is arranged opposite each tongue at and a space a is arranged opposite each tongue'ct As shown in Fig. l, the tongues of each section A will fit snugly in the openings on the adjacent side of a contiguously-arranged section, and thus form a complete covering fora floor. Each of the tongues is a little wider at its outer edge and of familiar dovetail shape, and the intermediate spaces are reversely and correspondingly shaped so the dovetailed tongues of an adjacent or contiguoussection will fit snugly therein. By such arrangement 5 5 and shape the sections are securely interlocked when placed in position on a floor. The end sections A and A are formed of a strip with but one series of tongues and intermediate spaces, thus leaving a straight and 6c finished edge.

In practice the sections are molded or cut of long strips formed with tongues and intermediate spaces on opposite sides thereof. To form a covering, the strips are laid together to cover the desired space.

The invention provides a floor-covering which can be cheaply produced and can be easily and quickly laid to form a complete covering for a floor. By forming the tongues and intermediate spaces so they will fit into and interlock with'each other the sections of the covering will be securely held together and disarrangement and displacement will be impossible. The alternate arrangement of the tongues on opposite sides of the central strip provides a construction which will endure severe lateral strains Without tearing the tongues from the strips. It will be seen also that all of the strips are alike, (except- 8o ing the end strips,) and the several sections maybe cut into desired length from a single Ion g strip.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the precise form shown and described, but may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An elastic floor-covering formed of a series of sections, each of which comprises along central strip, formed on each of its opposite sides with a series of tongues and intermediate spaces whereinto the tongues of a contiguoussection will fit.

2. An elastic floor-covering formed of a series of sections, each of which comprises a long central strip formed on each of its opposite sides with a series of interlocking tongues and intermediate spaces whereinto the tongues of a contiguous section will fit, and whereby the sections will be secured together.

3. An elastic floor-covering formed of a series of sections, each of which comprises a long central strip formed on its opposite sides with a series of tongues and intermediate spaces whereinto the tongues of a contiguous section will fit, the said tongues on said strips being alternately disposed on opposite sides of the strips.

4. An elastic floor-covering formed of a se- 

